As a company that builds dozens of websites and apps every year, one our concerns is security. Maintaining the integrity and security of our, and our clients’, websites and systems. If you’re a similar company, or a tech start-up, then surely you deal with similar concerns.
A lack of security can not only compromise your data but also affect your reputation as a service provider. In other cases, say if you’re a start-up, it could mean that your proprietary material or intellectual property might be stolen.
We’ll list out a few common ways in which your security is compromised and common weak points which hackers tend to exploit. Along the way we point out how to improve your systems’ and data security.
VULNERABILITIES
A web server is a program that stores files so that they can be accessible via a network or the internet. This is one of the common entry points that hackers often exploit.
Default settings
Many, dare we say most, of us don’t usually change default settings while we’re setting up the server. Raise your hands if your router’s credentials are:
Username: Admin
Password: Password123
This kind of lapse is often the reason for your system and data security being compromised.
Misconfiguration and Bugs
Misconfigured or bug ridden operating systems and web servers are yet another weak point. Hackers often exploit these to gain unauthorised access to your data.
Lack of security protocols
Leaving system updates and upgrades to individual whims means only one thing: INACTION. That’s why you need to put in place a procedure to check, update and action security protocols at scheduled intervals.
IMPROVING SECURITY
You can take action here and now that will help you protect your data. We’ve listed several things that costs almost nothing, but will bolster your security significantly. Here we go:
Passwords
It might seem simple, but it really is one of the quickest and easiest to bolster security. Setting a strong password, and updating it regularly should be a no-brainer. As Edward Snowden said in his interview with John Oliver, it can less than a second to crack an 8 character password simply because we often put little to no thought into it. Watch the video, you can thank us later.
Restricting access
It’s not uncommon for companies to have team members working remotely, often in another country. That’s where restricting access to only those who really need it becomes essential in maintaining data integrity.
Encryption
One way to ensure that the data you are transmitting over a network is safe is to encrypt it before transmission. Here again it is essential that your key-codes are changed regularly to prevent attacks.
Updating Operating System (OS) and Antivirus
It can be annoying to keep updating your antivirus and OS given how much time it can take. But many of these updates and bug fixes are there for a reason, to monitor, identify and remove malicious software which can easily be picked up on the internet.
Firewalls
Firewalls help prevent simple attacks by blocking unusual or suspicious sources. Moreover, if you’ve been hacked previously (and are hence doubly susceptible to repeated attack), firewalls can help repel attacks that originate from specific places or even IP addresses.
Patch Management
A patch is basically an update that fixes a bug in the system. Regularly identifying bugs and redressing them is crucial.
When it comes to maintaining the security of your systems and data, there is no one thing that will suffice. In fact, it’s a combination of a lot of little things that will make all the difference. Contrary to what many think, many of these measures don’t really cost much, or in some cases, any money. What they do need though, is dedicated time and continued effort. Compared to the cost of losing you data, or intellectual property, the effort you expend is almost minimal.
